A new study of global giving conducted by the Charities Aid Foundation has found that when it comes to acts of generosity in Northern Europe – the UK and Ireland are one of the front runners. According to the results of the study, the UK is Northern Europe’s second most charitable nation – and ranked 7th overall in the World Giving Index 2014. The index measures generosity on a country by country basis and it should come as no surprise just how well the UK does when it comes to giving back to others.
Just do one thing for charity
The report was released just a couple of weeks prior to #GivingTuesday which is also known as the International Day of Giving. This year it takes place for the first time in the UK on December 2nd 2014. #GivingTuesday calls on people to do just a single thing for charity, whether that is lending their voice, donating money or giving their time. If you haven’t started your Christmas shopping yet, December 2nd is as good a day to start as any. You could do your bit for charity with a charity gift.
A lot of people in the UK donate money
Currently the report measures the generosity of 135 countries and ranks them according to the percentage of population that donates money to charity, helps a stranger or volunteers. The UK does particularly well when it comes to giving money to charity, ranking joint 4th with Ireland. According to the results of the survey, 74 per cent of people in the UK said they donated to charity in the previous month. The Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) which compiled the index is an international charity dedicated to promoting giving. The index is based on a series of Gallup polls conducted over the last year.
John Low, Chief Executive of the Charities Aid Foundation, said: “It’s great to see the UK continuing to lead the way when it comes to supporting others and the voluntary organisations which form the backbone of our society.
“Last year it was particularly heart-warming to see the incredible generosity of the British public in their response to Typhoon Haiyan in the autumn, just weeks before another record-breaking Children in Need appeal.
“We’re bringing the #GivingTuesday campaign to the UK in just two weeks, asking people to do one thing for charity on December 2nd. We hope this will build on the success of the other cause-focused social media campaigns which have swept the world this year and embed acts of generosity even further into our culture.”
The report suggests that overall an increasing number of people are performing acts of kindness and giving their time to good causes:
- In 2013 the number of people who helped a stranger globally rose by 226 million year on year.
- 132 million more people are volunteering.
- The proportion of people donating money fell by 0.6 percentage points reflecting a slowdown in global GDP growth.
You don’t have to be rich to be generous
The index found that the most generous countries in the world were Myanmar and the United States. Canada ranked third, whilst Ireland and New Zealand ranked fourth and fifth respectively. Interestingly the index found that of the top twenty most generous countries, only five were members of the G20, which suggests you don’t have to be rich to be generous with time or money.
In Malaysia, Typhoon Haiyan seems to have had a major impact on giving, catapulting the country from 71st to 7th in the index. Iraq also saw a huge jump in helping a stranger, rising to 75 per cent in 2013 from 42 per cent in the previous year. This is probably in response to the rising violence in the region and the increased need to help the worst affected.
How you can help
If you want to take part in #GivingTuesday this year, why not purchase a charity gift for a friend or loved one this Christmas? You could time it to coincide with December 2nd and ensure the UK is recognised once again for being the generous country that it is. There are dozens of charity gifts to choose from and we are sure you will find a cause or charity that is close to your heart and will make you and the recipient feel good about yourselves.
